


Dad

by lookingforthestars



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: Choosing your Family, F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-28 17:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10140524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookingforthestars/pseuds/lookingforthestars
Summary: It was a simple mistake, and Walter's sort of flattered by it. So why is Paige so upset?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just going to be a short two-shot. Second part will have more of Paige's perspective and a metric ton of fluff.

"Oh." Walter wrinkled his nose and tilted his face to the side, drawing in a deep breath before he returned his attention to Ralph. "Do you want more water?"

Ralph groaned, slumping indelicately against the side of the toilet. His eyes rolled toward the ceiling and he fumbled for the handle, relieved when Walter reached it first and flushed. "I think I've thrown up everything I ate and drank today. I don't want to put anything else in my system."

"Yeah. Uh…okay." Heaving a sympathetic sigh, Walter rubbed circles on Ralph's back, feeling the boy's body start to relax. "I don't want you to get dehydrated, but we can wait until your stomach calms down. Is there anything else you need?"

Ralph shook his head before shifting to lay down on the cold tile floor. Walter pitied the young genius and wished there was more he could do to help. Unfortunately, the combined IQs of Scorpion's members couldn't overcome something as mundane as a stomach virus.

Paige would be arriving soon, at least. In the field of caring for Ralph, she was the undeniable expert.

Walter was glad that she hadn't received his messages until her art history class let out. She sounded slightly frantic when she called, but once he assured her there was no crisis, Walter knew she trusted him to handle the situation. And while it certainly wasn't the most fun he'd ever had with Ralph, he welcomed the opportunity, in a strange way. For years, he'd reassured Paige that she was no longer alone in watching over her son. This was merely Walter putting his money where his mouth was.

"Walter?" her strained voice echoed as soon as the garage door swung open. The genius left his post and walked to the top of the stairs so he wouldn't disturb Ralph further by yelling.

"We're up here." Paige's eyes darted to his before she dropped her bag and rushed up the stairs to meet him. "He's fine," Walter said quietly as they walked toward the loft's bathroom together. "It only started about an hour ago. He thinks he might have eaten bad pizza at school."

She dropped to her knees, brushing Ralph's bangs away from his clammy forehead and taking his temperature with her hand. "Oh, baby," she murmured, glancing from him to the older genius. "Thank you for taking care of him. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. I was halfway across town and—."

"Please," Walter interrupted, shaking his head. "I didn't mind."

The liaison stared at him for a moment, then blew out a breath and nodded. Her arm wrapped around Ralph's waist, preparing to help him stand, and Walter's came to the boy's other side—to help her or stop her, he wasn't sure.

"You could stay here." Walter cringed at the blatant eagerness in his voice as Paige raised her eyebrows. He cleared his throat. "I mean, Ralph's still vomiting with some frequency. Perhaps it would be easier if he rested here until he was more stable. You're both welcome to stay as long as you need."

Paige had more than a decade of experience in dealing with Ralph's illnesses. She had it in hand. He knew that. And what kind of man volunteered to let a sick child desecrate his bathroom? Walter could just picture himself laying awake until morning as Ralph ejected whatever remained of his stomach contents.

And yet…the thought of Paige and Ralph staying the night, even under these circumstances, caused an odd thump in Walter's chest.

"Uh…thank you," Paige said uncertainly. For a second, Walter thought she might be considering the offer, until she pushed herself up and wiped her now-damp palms on her jeans. "But we can't impose on you like that. You've already been more than enough help." He opened his mouth to reiterate his earlier statements, but her next words rushed out before he could speak. "Plus, I'm sure he'll want to sleep in his own bed. T-Tomorrow…I might have to call out if he's still sick tomorrow, if we don't have a case I can—."

"The virus is likely to stay in his system for at least twenty-four hours. He'll likely need you tomorrow. I will, uh, tell the team to anticipate your absence."

Walter hated the days that Paige wasn't at the garage, when she had an appointment or on weekends if they weren't on a case. But if he couldn't persuade her to stay, he could at least alleviate her concern over devoting the appropriate amount of time to Ralph.

"Thank you, Walter. For everything." The smile she offered, though small, was enough to convince him he had done the right thing. She perched herself on the edge of his bathtub, running her hands through Ralph's hair soothingly. "Come on honey, we're going home. I'll stop on the way to get you some medicine and ginger ale."

Ralph burrowed his face into Paige's leg and shook his head. "No. Dad already did."

Her gaze widened, flying to Walter at an almost unprecedented speed, and the genius was sure his expression betrayed every bit as much surprise as hers. Paige furrowed her eyebrows as she looked back down at her son. "You mean Walter?"

He wanted to explain that he hadn't left Ralph to get anything, that he just happened to have the necessary remedies stocked around the garage—mostly thanks to Paige's habit of picking up personal items for him when she went grocery shopping for the team, things that he was too stubborn to buy himself—but he didn't know how to answer without appearing to presumptuously accept the mistaken title.

Ralph lifted his head, as visibly confused and embarrassed as the two adults. "Y-Yeah." He pressed his lips together, glancing at his mentor sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't…"

Walter looked to Paige. Once the initial shock wore off, he concluded that this was a simple slip of the tongue and easily smoothed over. Drew was not a regular fixture in Ralph's life, and Walter had been filling somewhat of a paternal role over the course of the evening. Not to mention that the young genius was ill and understandably experiencing a mental fog. The most efficient course of action was to reassure the boy and then set about retrieving the items he'd mentioned. "Ralph, it's—."

"It's time to go," Paige said abruptly, drowning him out as she lifted Ralph to his feet. "Are you okay to walk?" The boy clutched his stomach but mumbled in agreement.

Walter swallowed. Perhaps he'd read the situation wrong. Paige was deliberately avoiding his gaze now, directing all of her attention to her son as she guided him toward the entrance to the loft. Was she upset? Had he responded incorrectly to Ralph's comment? She'd barely given him a chance to respond. What Walter had considered a virtual non-issue seemed to be affecting her much more strongly.

He held his tongue, attempting to analyze her sudden shift in behavior, but they reached the door too quickly and Walter disliked the idea of Paige leaving when she was clearly upset. "I'm sorry if—."

"Walter," she said in a quiet voice, halting him. Paige cleared her throat and handed Ralph her keys. "Go wait in the car, okay? I'll be right there." Neither of them spoke until the door clicked shut behind the young genius, and then the liaison exhaled and ran one hand through her loose waves. "No, I'm sorry. This is my fault."

Her fault? He hadn't thought it was anyone's fault. "Paige, really, it's okay."

She held up her hands between them. "I know you care about Ralph. And I appreciate everything you do for him. I really do." She bit her lip. "But, uh…I think the lines are getting blurred. Maybe I've been relying on you too much lately. I didn't mean to put that pressure on you. You never signed up for that kind of responsibility."

_You never signed up to be a father._ Paige's meaning was clear enough, but Walter still felt like he was missing something. He'd made it clear, in his own unusual way, that he loved Ralph and was wholly devoted to helping the boy grow intellectually and emotionally. Far from being scared off by the moniker, Walter felt privileged to have fulfilled that need for Ralph, even temporarily. Paige's reticence didn't make sense, unless…

Unless she didn't want Ralph to see him as a father.

Maybe she wanted to entrust that role to someone else, to whoever swept her off her feet after Tim. Or maybe she just thought his emotional difficulties made him an unsuitable choice as Ralph's parental figure, in the same way they'd taken him out of the running for her romantic affections.

Walter's stomach dropped. He thought he was making progress. But it still wasn't enough for her.

"Good night," she murmured, wrapping her fingers around his forearm and squeezing gently. The genius usually craved her touch, grateful for whatever he could get even though it was never enough. This time, though, it left him cold.

"Good night," he echoed as she left, not realizing until the garage fell completely silent that he'd neglected to give her that stupid medicine.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm sorry, mom."

Paige sighed and stroked her thumb over Ralph's temple. He'd been silent most of the way back, obeying her instructions a little more readily than usual. He knew she was upset and she hated how small his voice suddenly sounded.

"Baby." She smoothed the comforter around his body, part of the ritual of tucking him in that she rarely followed anymore. Paige didn't want her son to be sick, of course, but…it was nice to feel needed again, even just for a day or two. "You have nothing to apologize for. Okay? Everything's fine."

"No it isn't," he noted quietly. Despite her best efforts to put on a strong facade for him, Paige felt her expression crumble slightly and she took a deep breath to steady herself. _Fine_ was a stupid word to use. Ralph saw right through it and her. "I know sometimes I say things. Because I want you and Walter to date. But I didn't say that to manipulate you. It's just how I feel." The young genius rolled onto his side, pulling his knees toward his chest. Ralph found comfort in curling into himself. She'd seen him do it a thousand times.

Paige had been surprised in the moment—the way _dad_ rolled so easily off his tongue, like he'd been calling Walter that for years—but deep down, she already knew he saw his mentor that way. There was nothing complicated about it, to Ralph. The uncertainty and fear that those words invoked was entirely on her end.

He yawned, his eyes growing heavier, and Paige leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. "It's okay to feel that way," she whispered, hoping it would be enough to reassure him for now so he could rest. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Ralph hummed his approval and Paige shut off the lamp on his bedside table.

* * *

The temperature outside had dropped precipitously and Paige was grateful for the warmth as she returned to her apartment building. She'd been watching TV for less than twenty minutes when she realized her phone was still in the car and left to retrieve it, satisfied that Ralph was sound asleep and wouldn't need her for a few minutes.

She frowned, paying extra attention to her balance on the stairs as she flipped over the buzzing device to check the screen. _I left a bag by the door. I hope Ralph is getting better._

"P-Paige?"

Her foot came down early and she stumbled slightly, grabbing the railing to steady herself. Walter was steps away from her front door, his own phone in hand, the aforementioned plastic bag resting on her welcome mat. He flushed instantly and Paige could see the hint of panic in his eyes.

"I didn't want to knock and risk disturbing Ralph," he explained, waiting a beat and the continuing when she didn't respond. "There's, uh, medicine for Ralph's stomach. And ginger ale. I-I put a few books in there too. In case he's bored tomorrow."

Walter finally stopped talking and Paige yanked herself out of her reverie. She'd been so flustered and distracted and anxious on the way home that she completely forgot about stopping for supplies. She guessed she shouldn't be surprised that he came all the way over to make sure Ralph had them. It was exactly something he would do. "Uh…" she cleared her throat. "Thank you. That's really sweet, Walter."

He nodded and dropped his eyes to the floor. "You, um, y-you left quickly and I didn't have a chance to give it to you."

Paige knew why he hadn't knocked and it wasn't because of Ralph. He was clearly uncomfortable and she hated being the reason he was like this. It made her chest ache.

And yet she was silent. She felt like she'd never learned a word in her entire life. It was frustrating. God, was this how Walter felt when he was overwhelmed?

"P-Please, uh…please tell Ralph I hope he feels better," he said, drawing her out of her thoughts before he offered her a tight-lipped smile.

"Okay." They needed to talk. They needed to say…more than this. But maybe another day of space would be beneficial. Give her time to collect her thoughts. Even if it meant she had to feel like hell tonight, watching him leave. "Good night."

His gaze lingered a second longer before he murmured "good night," stepping past her and jogging down the stairs. He didn't get far.

"You were wrong, earlier," Walter added, spinning around on the eighth step. His determined eyes locked with her slightly startled ones and he swallowed. "I did sign up for this. M-Maybe not in the traditional way, but…I did."

Underneath the conviction in his stare was an uncertainty she could recognize easily now. It was within her power to reassure him, or at least explain herself to him, and she was just being selfish by prolonging the inevitable. She caved, taking a seat on the closest stair and motioning for Walter to sit down next to her.

She waited for him to settle in, adjusting her position slightly to face him and pressing her palms together between her legs. It wasn't the most private place for a conversation, but it was better than freezing to death outside. And she had no doubt that Ralph would wake up and eavesdrop if they talked in her apartment.

"I know I've been acting strangely tonight. Since…" Paige bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

"I'm s-sure he didn't even mean it."

"He did. He told me. But I think we both already knew that."

Walter nodded again, lifting his chin to stare ahead at nothing. "I understand…that I'm unqualified to play that role in Ralph's life. I know that. But…"

"No, that's not true," Paige interrupted, shaking her head. For some reason—perhaps because he was so hard on himself about his emotional inadequacy—she couldn't stand the idea of him thinking that. "I don't know if anyone's ever really qualified to be a parent. But there's certainly no one more qualified than you. No one understands him better, or…has risked as much for him."

Walter's body relaxed, just a fraction, but it was something. "Then why did it upset you?"

Paige shrugged, pushing her knees together and trapping her hands more securely. "Hearing Ralph say that just…stirred up so many things for me. I don't really know where to start." She glanced at Walter to find him watching her patiently. He had his annoying quirks, to be sure, but neglecting to listen to her was not one of them. "Drew never wanted to be Ralph's father. I mean, eventually he wanted to be part of Ralph's life. But not as a dad." The genius's face contorted slightly at the mention of her ex, but he managed to keep his disdain mostly under wraps. "Raising Ralph has been the hardest and best thing I will ever do. And I've been doing it alone for so long."

"You're an amazing mother."

"Thank you." Paige gave him a weak smile. He'd assured her of that before and she could always tell by his tone that he considered it a fact. "And it's not that I don't want him to connect to anyone else. I love the relationship he has with the team. But a father…that's not something I've ever been able to promise him. And you… _we_ …have put everything aside for the good of Scorpion." She stared down at her hands, his focus suddenly a little too much for her. "Your work is important to you, and I respect that. You never planned to have a family. A kid that needs you. You never planned to settle down that way, and I've never expected you to."

She hoped for it, maybe. Once. Paige felt a pit in her stomach, a mass of all the rejection she'd faced from him in the past, and pushed it away. It wasn't relevant to their conversation.

Walter raised his eyebrows. "Paige, I brought you and Ralph into my life. Willingly."

"That doesn't mean you'll keep us there." She hated her voice. She hated how unsteady it was becoming. She hated how unsteady she felt. "Look, I'm not saying that you're going to abandon Ralph. I don't think you will. But he's already had one father that couldn't make that commitment. I just need to know that the next person Ralph forms that kind of attachment with is going to be around. Through everything. No matter how hard or inconvenient it gets."

Walter was quiet. What was she expecting him to say? What did she even want him to say? She wasn't trying to guilt him into promising something he couldn't give. She just wanted him to understand how high the stakes were. How much Ralph deserved.

It seemed like an eternity before he answered, "I know I'm not Ralph's father. Biologically. And maybe at one time I would have said that was the only thing that mattered." Walter blew out a breath through his nose. "But if you think that I don't want to be, then you're mistaken. I'm sorry if that's inappropriate. I d-don't mean to overstep. But it's true."

Hot tears pricked at Paige's eyes and she blinked, trying to bring them under control. She didn't know what she'd expected him to say, but it wasn't that. Nothing like that.

"Excuse me," a vaguely familiar voice interrupted. They both looked up to find Mrs. Griswold staring at them. _It's bingo night_ , Paige's memory chimed in unnecessarily. "Can I get through?"

"Sorry," Walter mumbled as he stood and moved behind Paige to let the elderly woman pass. There was a long, painful silence as she fumbled with her keys, forgetting which one unlocked her apartment door. Finally, she succeeded in the hunt and Walter resumed his place next to the liaison, tension settling between them again.

But Walter was being honest. Laying it all on the table. She owed him the same.

"It's not just about Ralph," Paige admitted, commanding herself to spit it out before she cowered behind a wall of her own excuses. The genius was closer now, somehow, his knee almost brushing hers, and she tried not to get distracted by that point of near-contact. "It's about me, too. I know that's selfish. I try not to let our…whatever…impact your relationship with Ralph. But w-when you asked us to stay, and then Ralph said what he said, I just…I couldn't help picturing it. The three of us. It wasn't the first time, but every time I start to think that way, it all just crumbles." She forced her gaze up to Walter, knowing he would be able to see everything on her face and trying not to be scared of that. They'd already spent so long being afraid of each other. "It's too hard, catching glimpses of something that never happens."

Walter simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. She wondered if she'd broken him. Just because he told her he loved her, one time, months earlier and from somewhere deep in his subconscious, didn't mean he really did. That he was willing to settle down with them. That he had any interest in all of them being a family, together.

And then his lips were on hers, his palms flat against her sides, pressing into her skin. No one had ever put this much effort into touching her and it knocked the air out of her lungs. Her fingers traveled clumsily up his neck, tangling in his hair as the relatively innocent kiss made her burn.

Walter didn't _always_ state facts. But he couldn't lie, not like this. Paige knew how he felt about her before he said it.

"I love you," he breathed when they broke apart, visibly shaken but not pulling away. The genius let out a quiet, relieved laugh. "I've been trying to tell you that for such a long time." He dragged his hands down to her knees, brushing his thumbs over the fabric over her jeans and seeming pleased when he felt her shiver in response. "I thought you were upset earlier because you wanted someone else to have that relationship with Ralph. N-Not because…"

"Because I wanted this?"

"Yeah." Walter's eyes were so full of affection and for a second Paige thought, as illogical as it was, that everything she was feeling might kill her. "I know you don't have a lot of reasons for confidence in me, but let me try. Even if it gets hard, or, uh, or inconvenient, and I struggle or mess up or…I really want to take care of you and Ralph. Be there for you a-all the time. It's pretty much the only thing I want, anymore."

Moisture brimmed in her eyes again and Paige wiped her face quickly with her sleeve. Walter would misunderstand if he saw her cry. She nodded and brushed her lips over his again, fairly certain that she planned to spend the next few days exactly like this, world crises notwithstanding.

She dropped her forehead to his, her hands falling on either side of his neck. "I love you, Walter. We both do." Paige bit her lip as the corner of her mouth curved. "Do you want to spend the night? It might not be very romantic, if Ralph is still sick, but…well, this is pretty much what life with us is like."

Walter chuckled. "Yeah. I do."


End file.
